Tag Archives: children

Enjoyed some good conversations with my college kids over this weekend. Delightful.

Josh mentioned the blessing of being used by God – and there is no greater blessing, really. It is what led Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth to call her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus, “blessed”. After all, Mary wasn’t blessed because she was rich (she had more in line economically with a peasant). And she wasn’t blessed because everything was going well for her relationally. Her relational world was probably in a shambles when Gabriel came to say hello (the whole out-of-wedlock thing likely had something to do with that). But Mary was blessed because she was about to be used more than any human being had ever been used before. That’s blessing.

And that led me to wax eloquent about two big prayer requests I have as I am moving into Act II of my life.

I want to be used by God.

I want my children to know and love Jesus. That seemed to be John’s heart when he wrote memorably…

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4 (ESV)

I’ve written on this before, but we parents are pretty wrapped up in our kids, aren’t we? I think some can overdo this, but in general it is the way that God made us – He made us to have this natural, overpowering love for our children. And my kids are doing well now, and yet I will pray all of my life that they would walk with God in the truth until they breathe their last.

And more than that, I’ve begun to hear something about a phenomenon called grandchildren. We don’t have any of those yet, and we’re not rushing it, but we will welcome the day when they come. A godly friend of mine has described his heart for his grandchildren: he simply wants to spend eternity with them, a very reasonable request, and one he is regularly petitioning the Lord for.

And then there are those other “children”. After all, though my personal application on this verse is appropriate, I don’t think John was actually speaking of biological children when he wrote his letter to Gaius. He was thinking as a pastor. And he wanted his pastoral children to walk in the truth. This is my heart as well.

And when you think about it, isn’t it interesting how these two requests come together? We are most wonderfully used by God as He enables us to help others we love know and follow the Lord Jesus. Now that is true joy.

So if you think to pray for me, ask the Lord for these things, would you? And may God use you also, and cause any spiritual children…or biological children you have…to walk in the truth.

It was many years ago at our first home in Waupun on Church St. Our two kids were finally in bed (Annie was not yet on the scene), and having fed the little ones earlier, Diane and I were planning a late night frozen pizza/T.V. time as we sometimes did. When the oven timer started going off to indicate the pizza was ready, maybe we didn’t respond so quickly, but we did hear a wee girly voice from the corner bedroom:

“Mommy, your hot stove is beeping.”

Kids say the darndest things, and perhaps especially the one we named Elisabeth. On another evening I came into her room and called her a princess. Don’t all little girls want to be called “Princess”?

“I not a princess.”

What are you then?

A moment’s hesitation…

“I a goat-pig.”

Well, forgive your father for insulting you. But we never took up with that name, for which she would thank us today. In fact, she was a princess, but she was a princess I gave another nickname to: “Littlebit”

Our princess Littlebit is turning 18 today.

So we’re heading to the Windy City this morning to celebrate the big day. The four of us are hoping to have lunch (Cheesecake Factory?) and then meet her brother outside the Chicago Theater for a “Free tours by foot” tour of the city. Afterwards we’ll all head back to Wheaton College for Josh’s final Men’s Glee Club concert of the year. It promises to be a full and joyous day.

And speaking of Wheaton, it’s hard to believe but sweet Elisabeth is almost finished with high school and headed there to join her brother next year. It’s early, but right now she is leaning toward a Bible/theology major, which would fit well with her heart for God and love for His Word.

I got scared recently and took her aside and asked her to begin a weekly breakfast date with me. Time was passing so quickly and I didn’t want to miss her. An intentional date time is necessary with her – so busy with school and work and youth group (birthday party with that gang next week) and scholarship applications and piano…always piano. For years now she has been taking lessons from a renowned teacher in the Milwaukee area. My daughter the Maestro. You’d have to hear it to believe it.

So if you see Littlebit and me out on the town Tuesday mornings, you’ll know what’s up. I’m trying to hold off the inevitable, when we have to pay more attention to the oven…because our little princess has left home.